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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951272">Thirty Seven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightiestPen/pseuds/TheMightiestPen'>TheMightiestPen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Birthdays [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon Relationships, Family, Gen, Happy birthday Sam!, Hurt/Comfort, Last birthday of the series!, Possibly ever, Sam Winchester Deserves to be Happy, Sam-Centric, Season 15, birthday fic, destiny's child, for real this time, post 15x13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:41:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,082</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23951272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightiestPen/pseuds/TheMightiestPen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam turns thirty seven. Everyone's excited about it but him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel &amp; Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester &amp; Sam Winchester, Jack Kline &amp; Sam Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Birthdays [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2124366</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Thirty Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"It's your birthday today," Jack says.</p><p>Sam looks up from his book, blinking away the impressions of the words. "What?"</p><p>"Dean told me," Jack's stare is wide-eyed. "He said you were 37 now."</p><p>Sam looks up, mentally running through the days. He glances at his phone: 12:20 AM. May 2nd, 2020.</p><p>"Huh," He says. "I guess I am."</p>
<hr/><p>"Happy birthday, bitch."</p><p>Sam snaps back to attention, jerking away from his coffee. Blearily, he checks his phone again: 9:00. He's been up for about...3 hours now. "Thanks, Dean," He responds, still weary. That should be the end of it.</p><p>It isn't.</p><p>"37, huh?" Dean shambles over, retying the tie on his bathrobe. "Getting old."</p><p>"Ok, 41," Sam responds, taking another sip. Caffeine just doesn't wake him up like it used to.</p><p>Dean scoffs, sliding into a chair next to Sam. "So we're both geriatrics now. Still means you're no spring chicken."</p><p>Sam <em>hmms</em>, then sets his cup down. "You know, we should start talking about-"</p><p>"We'll do a cake later tonight," Dean interrupts. "Jack's been asking me about it for a week now."</p>
<hr/><p>"You're a taurus, like me."</p><p>Sam lifts his head off the table. He's pretty sure the edge of the book he's been napping on has been imprinted into his forehead. "What-" He begins to ask, wiping at his eyes.</p><p>"I read about it online," Jack stares at him, moist-eyed, as he's been for the last few weeks. "We both have the same star sign."</p><p>"That's cool," Sam says, at a loss at how to respond. "That's really cool, Jack."</p><p>Jack just gives him a watery smile and walks away.</p>
<hr/><p>"Do you think Jack's been acting a little...weird?"</p><p>"Weird how?" Cas asks, sitting back in his chair. "Anything you think we should be worried about?"</p><p>Sam rubs at the bridge of his nose. "Not really," he begins, hesitant, "Just...he keeps asking me about my birthday. Little comments here and there. Nothing concerning, just...weird."</p><p>Cas gets a small smile. He's been smiling more, these days. "I suppose he's just curious. I think he's only just noticed that you have birthdays that are close together. Maybe he's trying to share that with you."</p><p>"Maybe," Sam says, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. "But it just feels...a bit much. I've had 36 years worth of birthdays that weren't a big deal, and this one is getting way too much attention."</p><p>"You want to know what I think?" Cas responds, affection seeping into his voice. "Enjoy it. It's good for Jack, and I think it'll be good for you too. Don't overthink it."</p><p>Sam gives him a watery smile. "Probably, but don't you think we have bigger things to worry about right now? Like, this isn't important at all in the big picture."</p><p>Cas shrugs. "Maybe it should be."</p><p>Sam gives a short nod, looks back down to his laptop. The battery is running low, he's going to have to replace it soon.</p><p>"Oh, and Sam?" He looks up, sees Cas examining him, amused. "Happy birthday."</p>
<hr/><p>"What kind of cake you want, Sammy?"</p><p>Sam slams his laptop lid shut, suddenly frustrated. "Whatever you want," he snaps gathering up his notes. "I gotta work, though."</p><p>"Whoa," Dean raises his hands in mock surrender. "Dude, it was just a question. Don't bite my head off."</p><p>Sam sighs, loud and gusty. "Sorry," he says, centering himself. "I'll eat any cake, you know me."</p><p>"You sure? You don't want any vegan cake or something?"</p><p>Sam shoots him a look, rolls his eyes.</p><p>"C'mon, man," and now Dean's voice has a pleading quality to it. "Give me something, here. Not every day you turn 37, let's celebrate that!"</p><p>"What I don't understand," Sam starts, feeling irritated that he seems to be the only person who didn't get the memo on this birthday thing. "Is why we're not, you know, having this energy for fighting God? This is kind of a big deal, here."</p><p>"Never said it wasn't," Dean responds. "Just, you know, let's take the opportunities to have some fun, while we can. Enjoy life. You never know..."</p><p>He trails off, but Sam hears <em>if we'll ever get to do this again </em>loud and clear, and he gets it. He really, really does. But the reality of the situation is, they've always sacrificed this kind of thing-their whole lives-for the greater good. They've had lots of <em>what ifs </em>in his 37 (237) years that could've included this attitude, but they never indulged. Why start now?</p><p>And Sam opens his mouth, reluctantly, to say exactly that, but catches movement in his peripheral vesion. He tilts his head slightly, and there's Jack, peeking out from behind a doorway, clearly attempting stealth. His face is pale and his eyes are large, and suddenly there feels like a lot riding on the next few minutes. Did he even ever get to experience what a proper birthday was supposed to look like, ever?</p><p>Well. There seems to be something different about this time around, after all.</p><p>Sam turns back to Dean, and lets out another large sigh. "Okay, you're right."</p><p>"Great! You want some pie then?" Dean waggles his eyebrows. "Apple?"</p><p>"Dean," Sam says, giving into a chuckle and letting the notes he was gathering fall back onto the table. "Birthdays mean cake. You know that."</p><p>Dean's face lights up, and Sam feels like a complete tool. "Sounds like a plan, dude."</p><p>Sam feels more than sees Jack's tentative smile flicker on the edges of his vision.</p>
<hr/><p>Dean brings him a carrot cake with cream cheese icing. It's a pleasant, delicious, surprise, and Dean even eats it with them.</p><p>He has also apparently bought a couple mismatched candles (a tiny blue 3 and a giant red 7) and a small paper hat with a too-short band that pulls on his chin. Sam puts it on anyway, consents to pictures, and catches Jack laughing for the first time since he had been reacquainted with his soul.</p><p>They all sing off-key, and Sam gets to cut the cake and does so with a satisfaction that surprises him.</p><p>"Pretty good, don't you think?" Dean asks him, cutting himself a second slice.</p><p>Sam hears Jack chattering excitedly to Cas, <em>do you think I could get nougat for mine? </em>and looks towards them. Jack catches his stare and smiles, mouths <em>happy birthday</em> before turning back to expounding on whether or not nougat belongs in a cake.</p><p>He smiles. "Yeah. Really good."</p><p>END</p>
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